Equipped To Survive® PresentsTarp Shelters - An Introduction
by David B. Macpherson

Where do you want to go on ETS?

This document courtesy of David B. Macpherson provides an excellent introduction to the subject of tarp shelters. He provides a wealth of valuable and useful information on their use and construction, covering everything from the most basic immediate action shelter to sophisticated structures.

David notes that this is a work in progress and we encourage those with suggestions to contact David at the email listed at the bottom of the document. Please note that David is from Australia and that should explain some of the spelling and nomenclature differences that will be noticeable to U.S. readers.

Some designs in the document are far more practical than others, especially for use in the wilderness. David has included as many as he could for the sake of completeness, even if some are impractical in survival situations.

David noted when submitting this document, "I make mention in the document that Tarp-shelters have limits to how much bad weather they can take. I believe that anyone wanting to use ANY of these designs should try them out in a 'safe' environment first, rather than blindly rely on them (sight unseen/unevaluated) in a survival or wilderness situation."

He also commented, "some of these designs will work better depending on the type of tarp being used. Canvas, nylon, poly-tarp, each fabric type has its own special
abilities and drawbacks."

The HTML version of the document follows. This was automatically converted by Microsoft Word, please excuse the Microsoft peculiarities inherent in using this process.

A: Tarp-shelters are simple shelters made
from a Vertical Support System (VSS), rope, ground stakes, a tarpaulin (or a
fabric or plastic sheet), and ingenuity.

Q: What's a Vertical Support System (VSS)?

A: Any way or means of providing a fixed
point above the ground, from which something can be hung from, or hung on. VSS include tent poles, internal or external
frames (tripod, shears, etc), a rope slung between two supports (trees, etc),
an overhead suspension point (tree branch, etc), or a mixture of these.

Q: What sort of rope?

A: 6-millimetre poly or nylon rope is a
good size, with thicker rope better in some situations. Smaller diameter ropes may suffice, IF
they're ‘doubled' up.

Q: What sort of ground stakes?

A: Tent stakes designed for ‘hard ground'
are usually just a metal spike, and can pull out if rain softens the
ground. Tent stakes designed for ‘soft
ground' have shafts with an ‘angled' or ‘star' cross-section, and grip any sort
of ground better than ‘spike' stakes.
‘Soft ground' stakes are harder to hammer into ‘hard ground', but
they're harder to get out too!

Q: What sort of tarpaulin?

A: Any sort really. Canvas, nylon tent fabric, poly-tarps, or
even heavy-duty plastic sheeting like ‘painters drop sheets' may do. Ideally, the material should either be a
Square, or a Rectangle with the short side half the length of the long side
(1:2 ratio).

Q: These ‘do-it-yourself' designs look like
some of the Tent and ‘Tarp-tent' shelters sold in Camping Stores, but without
the $$$ price tag. What gives?

A: Generally speaking, modern Tents and
‘Tarp-tents' are high-tech versions of Tarp-shelter designs that have served
campers for generations. The ‘evolved'
versions sold in camping stores incorporate high quality of design, modern
materials, and professional manufacturing - these things cost extra, but
guarantee durable and reliable service in extreme situations and emergencies! Then there are the ‘extras' that modern
Tents sold in Camping Stores usually include - insect nets that keep out
mosquitoes (and the diseases they carry!), and sewn-in tub floors that keep out
mud and water (as well as snakes!).

Q: Oh.
But can't I put a groundsheet and insect mesh in a Tarp-shelter?

A: You could, but even with a commercial
mosquito net hung from the VSS, and a full DIY Tub Floor as groundsheet, the
results probably won't be as good, nor as safe, nor as reliable, nor as
durable, as a professionally made ‘modern' Tent.

Q: If it's not as good as a modern tent,
what CAN I use a DIY Tarp-shelter for?

A: Depending on the particular design
and the specific setting it's used in, a DIY Tarp-shelter can provide privacy
(beach, bush, etc), shade from the sun, and shelter from the wind, rain, and
cold. But first, ask yourself what you
really want the Tarp-shelter for. Is it
a hands-on project meant to build self-confidence? A cheap playroom for children in the back yard? A sleepover project for a Youth Group? A lightweight shelter to take when
Hiking? An emergency backup to the tent
you take when Camping?

Q: Emergency backup? How do these Tarp-shelters handle storms?

A:
Storms wreck houses, and rope and tarp fabric aren't as strong and durable
as wood and brick. Riding out a storm
in a Tarp-shelter is ~NOT~ recommended!
The only thing you can depend on a Tarp-shelter for is shade – any added
ability to deflect wind, or shed a downpour of rain, hail, or snow is a bonus!

Q: Oh, so Tarp-shelters can't handle wind
and rain, hail and snow?

A: I didn't say that! The success of ANY shelter in bad weather
depends on various things, not least of which is the basic design of the
shelter. While many Tarp-shelter designs
can only handle fair weather (or sheltered locations out of the wind), some
designs offer the prospect of being a real foul weather shelter, ~SUBJECT~ to
the limitations of design, materials and set-up! While they can serve as emergency shelters, they're ~NOT~
‘Impregnable Fortresses'.

Q: Okay, I accept that Tarp-shelters
aren't made of ‘bullet-proof armour plate', but what limitations regarding
‘design' and ‘set-up' are we talking about?

A: Windward is the direction the wind
blows from, so the Windward side of an object is the side that the wind blows
on (pushes against). Lee is the
direction the wind blows to, so the Lee side of an object is the side sheltered
from the oncoming wind. The set-up of a
Tarp-shelter must take account of where the wind is blowing from, in order to
stop the Tarp-shelter from ‘catching the wind' and becoming a glorified ‘kite'.

Q: Oh.
And ‘ridgepoles'?

A: A Ridgepole is a pole used to support
and reinforce the ridgelines of a tent or tarp. Ridgeline specifically refers to the junction lines of roofing
slopes, but may also refer to junctions of other sloping surfaces, such as
where a wall slope meets a roof slope, or another wall slope. A ‘Rope Ridgepole' or ‘Rope Ridgeline' is a
rope that serves in place of a pole, that is, where a rope provides support to
tent or tarp fabric.

Q: So a rope ridgepole is a guy-rope type
of thing then?

A: No.
Guy-ropes or guy-lines are ropes that attach to a tent or tarp and
tension the fabric, but do not necessarily support it in the air. A rope ridgepole may support the tarp fabric
in the air, but may not actually attach to the tarp fabric, nor actually
tension it – think of a clothesline, you drape clothes over it, and the
clothesline supports the clothes in the air.

Q: And what was that bit about ‘weight
load'?

A: Any shelter (including houses) can
collapse if weight overloads the supports.
In the case of a Tarp-shelter, storm debris, rain, hail, or snow may lie
on top of the Tarp-shelter (or be blown against it), and pile up until the
accumulated weight overloads the Tarp-shelter's supports. This is generally a ‘gradual' problem, with
sagging roofs and bulging walls warning of any impending ‘cave in'. However, a severe storm can dump an
overwhelming amount of debris within a few minutes, especially if the debris
includes leaves and branches from trees!

Q: Hmm.
Speaking of hail and snow, how well do Tarp-shelters do in the cold?

A: I don't have as much information on
that as I'd like. A Tarp-shelter offers
MINIMAL protection against hail, and even then, only against minor onslaughts
of smaller sized hailstones. A serious
hailstorm, with lots of small hailstones (let alone large ones!), could rip a
Tarp-shelter into pieces! Regardless of
how ‘mild' or ‘severe' a hailstorm was, I would ~NOT~ recommend you rely on
mere rope and fabric for protection!
End of Story! Snow is another
matter, but still presents the problem of collapsing a Tarp-shelter under the
weight of a snowfall. Very cold weather
may affect the materials used in the Tarp-shelter, freezing them stiff, or
making them brittle and more likely to snap or break.

Q: Will cooking inside a Tarp-shelter
offset the effects of cold weather?

A: Uh-oh, cooking inside a Tarp-shelter
is most definitely ~NOT~ Recommended!
Especially ~NOT~ with any of the modern ‘synthetic' (and thus Highly
Flammable) tent and tarp fabrics! While
some of these may claim to be ‘fire retardant', it's ~NOT~ a claim I'd risk my
life on! And before you ask, the advice
AGAINST cooking inside a Tarp-shelter extends to ALL other forms of combustion,
such as candles and fuel lamps, mosquito coils and incense, and even to
cigarettes! All of these things burn a
combustible fuel, and ALL are sources of potential fires! Then there's the problem of condensation -
cooking will create warm air that will condense on the surface of the cooler
tarp! The condensation will trickle
down the tarp fabric, and make life inside the shelter a bit more miserable. In very cold weather, the condensation may
even freeze and form icicles.

Q: Well, can I cook near a Tarp-shelter,
have a fire near one, or use any of the previously mentioned ‘other forms of
combustion' near a Tarp-shelter?

A: Ah, well. It depends on the stove or fire, and whether or not radiant heat,
embers, sparks, or other hot materials can affect the Tarp-shelter! Something as simple as placing a hot Billy
or hot candle lantern against a Tarp-shelter wall (or on a ground sheet) can
have bad consequences. Even if the
source of heat doesn't actually touch the ropes or tarp fabric, it may still
transfer enough heat through the air (radiant heat), to ‘melt' or ignite
them!

Q: Hmm, I see… Where can I get the basics to make my own Tarp-shelter?

A: Most hardware stores and larger
supermarkets should be able to sell you what you need, if not, go to any good
camping store. A multitude of Internet
sites can sell you products or give you more information on what's available,
from the comfort and safety of your own home.

Q: There's a bewildering variety of brands
available. What should I get?

A: First off, make small paper models of
the designs. When you have the basic
concept down pat, go and buy the CHEAPEST plain tarp you can! Don't worry! It'll last long enough to learn with! And when you ‘wear it out', you'll have a good excuse to go buy a
better one (as well as a good idea of what you need for the particular design/s
you want to use ;). Recycle the ‘worn
out' tarp into patches, ‘grommet insertion' test facility, ‘Rambo Raincoat',
groundsheet, etc. ~HOWEVER~, if you
include a tarp in your camping gear, buy a decent quality one, one that won't
‘break' and cause problems when you're out in the Bush.

Q: How do I transfer these folding plans onto
a real tarp?

A: Most of the patterns use ‘natural'
crease lines, the ones created when folding a tarp in half, thirds, etc. To make a ‘pattern', use a pen to make
‘alignment marks' on the tarp edge for easy reference. If necessary, use a tape measure, protractor
(device for measuring angles), and a board as a ruler.

Q: What if I need to put extra grommets in
the tarp to take ropes, etc?

A: Some of the folding plans have more
‘give and take' than others, and may be able to use existing grommets, even if
the grommets aren't in the ‘ideal' locations.
You might even be able to hang the tarp over poles and ropes, and just
secure it where you can! It's all a
matter of trial and error, and depends very much on the individual tarp. You can get grommet kits at Hardware and
Camping stores, but first, ask them if they have ‘Tarp-Clips'. Tarp-Clips go by a variety of names, but
they are reusable, can go anywhere on a tarp, and you don't need to make holes! Larger Tarp-clips are stronger, as they
‘grip' more tarp fabric than smaller clips.

Q: How do I get my Tarp-shelter to have
perfectly straight sides, etc?

A: Tarp-shelters don't NEED to have
‘perfectly straight sides' to work, but it will work better if the tarp fabric
is taut, rather than limp and saggy.
There are a number of ways to do this, but mostly it's just the basics
of setting up properly, as outlined earlier.
The use of a ‘ridgepole' (like in an A-Frame tent) helps to keep the
roofline straight and the roofing fabric taut.
This helps with shedding wind and rain, and improves the overall
stability of the structure. A framework
of poles or taut ropes (internal or external) can vastly improve a
Tarp-shelter's stability and its appearance.
Extra ground stakes will also help to keep things trim and taut, as will
a ‘daisy-chained' rope.

Q: What's this about a ‘daisy-chained'
rope?

A: Tarps have a rope running under the
edge of the hem, this rope reinforces the tarp, and helps spread the load over
more of the tarp fabric. A
‘daisy-chained' rope is a way of providing extra reinforcement. One way weaves a rope in and out of all of
the grommet holes in the tarp. Another
way only pushes a loop of thin rope through each grommet hole and ties it off,
with the rest of the rope on the other side of the tarp to the loops. In both cases, the rope itself can become
the main supporting structure, with the loops/stretches of rope becoming lash
points, and the tarp itself hanging/draped from the rope like a curtain.

Q: Anything else I need to know about
ropes?

A:
Yes. To stop poly or nylon ropes
from unravelling, use a flame or hot knife to melt the end fibres
together. To give the ropes pointy or
‘bullet tip' ends, roll the semi-melted ends between gloved or wet
fingertips. Ropes made of natural
fibres may have metal collars, or heat-shrunk plastic tubing, or even special
lashings called ‘whipping' securing the ends to stop them unravelling. Remember though, that ANY rope (synthetic or
natural), can wear out, or snap if put under enough tension!

Q: Snap? How safe are Tarp-shelters to use, say as a stall at a Flea
Market?

A: You'd be better off getting advice
from both a Structural Engineer AND a Lawyer!
Murphy's Law states that if something CAN fail, it WILL fail, and at the
WORST possible moment! In real life,
this may mean injuries and lawsuits!

Q: That doesn't really answer the
question?

A: Sorry, but I'm neither a Structural
Engineer, nor a Lawyer. If you use ANY
of these designs, you do so totally at your own risk, Physical and Legal! However, reinforcing a Tarp-shelter with
extra guy-lines, ridgepoles, and tent poles is not a bad idea, so long as you
follow common-sense safety procedures.

Q: Common-sense safety procedures? Such as?

A: A few safety tips to remember…

-Don't go camping if the forecast is for
bad weather. If out in the ‘Howling
Wilds', you should seek shelter IMMEDIATELY if the weather turns nasty.

-Don't set up camp over an ant nest, or
over any sort of burrow entrance.

-Don't set up camp in a gully or on a
riverbank, you may get flash floods.

-Don't set up camp below the ‘high water
mark' on a shoreline.

-Don't set up camp on top of a hill or
ridge. These spots attract lightning.

-Don't attach lines to tall trees or a
tree standing alone - these sorts of tree attract lightning strikes. A short tree in a group of taller trees is
safer.

-Don't set up camp
beneath a tree branch that is dead or partly broken. While overhead tree branches can serve well as a VSS, it may be
better NOT to do so, in case the tree branch comes loose and falls on the
Tarp-shelter during a storm!

-Don't set up camp beneath a dead tree,
or within ‘falling over distance' of a dead tree. It might only take a half-decent wind gust to overload rotted
roots, trunks, or branches, and bring the entire thing crashing down.

-Always set up camp before dark. That way you can see what you're doing.

-Always set up camp in relation to wind
direction. Wind direction changes
during the course of the day, but vegetation will grow and bend over to the Lee
side, showing the direction of the prevailing (strongest, most common) winds.

-Always check for anyone within
‘striking distance' when handling poles.

-DON'T set up camp near overhead cables
(or electrical appliances like lights, loudspeakers, alarms, etc) as you may
burn or electrocute yourself if a wire comes loose, or if a metal pole, wet
rope, wet tarp fabric or water puddle comes in contact with a ‘live' surface.

-Be VERY careful using ground stakes in
built-up and suburban areas, as you may damage underground utilities for
electricity, telephone, gas, water, or sewage.

Q: Okay, you've sold me on the idea, but
is there anything else I should know?

A: Funny you should say that. You can estimate the size of a Tarp-shelter
resulting from a specific design, given the dimensions of the tarp. For that you'll need pen, paper, a
calculator with SQUARE ROOT and SINE function keys, and Appendix #1 – Useful
Maths.

Q: Oh great! I didn't do too well at Maths in High School.

A: Don't worry – most of the maths is
straight forward, and will only involve estimating percentages from results
shown in the examples.

COPYRIGHT NOTES – As far as the Author of
this document is aware, the Intellectual information for the folding plans is
in the Public Domain, and has been since the days of the Early Colonial
Settlers and Pioneers.

Some of these Tarp-shelter designs have
several different names. Some designs
have variants that may only add or change a fold and create something new.

Sources of information regarding the
patterns include the websites, ‘Tarp Tents' http://www.hufsoft.com/bsa51/page2.html,
‘Tent Making Made Easy By H.J. Holden'
http://home.earthlink.net/~lil_bear/tent.htm, ‘Knights of Dionysus Rover Crew'
http://www.geocities.com/k_o_dionysus/main.html, and ‘Buckskin BSA (Boy Scouts
of America)' http://www.buckskin.org/Site_Map.htm. As well as the book ‘Camping in the Old Style' by David Wescott,
ISBN 0-87905-956-7, published by ‘Gibbs Smith' in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

~ALL~ illustrations in this document
were created by the Author using various computer graphic programs (most notably,
Painter 3D by MetaCreations, and Paint and Photo Editor by Microsoft). Please note that illustrations for the
finished Tarp-shelter designs are only ~GUIDES~ to what the finished shelters
look like!

The Author of this document expressly
allows the use and copying of his OWN illustrations FREE OF CHARGE for
Non-Commercial purposes by Non-Profit Groups (Charities, Educational Bodies,
Emergency Services, Youth Groups, Campers, etc).

Tarps are usually either cotton canvas
(with or without integrated synthetics reinforcing the weave or the stitching),
a woven nylon fabric (as in tent fabric), or laminated plastic ‘poly'
tarps. The type of material used will
affect the appearance of the Tarp-shelter.
The woven fabrics have more flex, and result in shelters with curving
walls and rounded angles when the fabric is under tension. Poly tarps have less flex, due to their
construction.

Poly tarps are made of Polyethylene, and
may be blue, green, or silver. They
have sewn or heat-sealed seams, a rope sewn into the hem, grommets every few
feet along the edge, and reinforced corners with grommets. Standard lightweight poly tarps are 1000
denier material in a 10 x 10 mesh, with 0.04 mm lamination on each side. Heavy-duty tarps have a 14 x 14 mesh, and
thicker laminate.

WARNING - Poly tarps may be lighter than
cotton canvas tarps are, but poly tarps melt and burn far more readily than
cotton canvas tarps. A heat source that
might not bother a cotton canvas tarp, can ruin a poly tarp.

Regardless of what material the tarp
fabric is, NEVER store a tarp when it is wet or damp, especially if there's
dirt or other organic material on it that mould and mildew can feed on. The same goes for ‘clean' dirt and sand,
both of which contain grit that can damage tarp fabric and ropes.

Tarps come in a wide range of sizes,
usually rectangular. The most common
size ratios are 1:1 (Square), 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 3:5, 4:5, 5:6 and 6:7. Any size quoted is not always the actual
size of the tarp, but may be the size of the piece of fabric before
‘hemming'. Hemming involves folding the
edge of the tarp over, and reduces tarp side length by several inches. Hemming prevents the tarp edge from fraying,
and secures a piece of rope within the fold that reinforces the edge.

All folding plans in this document use
either 10' x 10' Square, or 10' x 20' Rectangular tarps. This allows easier estimation when comparing
results from different sized tarps of the same type (Square/Rectangular). Example, a shelter made from an 8' x 8' tarp
is 80% (0.8) the size of a shelter made from a 10' x 10' tarp. Similarly, the conversion rate for a 12' x
12' tarp is 120% (1.2).

NOTE - The Author of this document is NOT a
Professional Mathematician, NOR are they a Professional Draftsman! The folding plans in this document are ~NOT~
‘exact scale'! They cannot be exact
scale due to drawing and rounding off errors incurred when working at the sizes
involved. The plans, or the maths involved
may also be in error, so practical experimentation is the only reliable way of
determining things! That having been
said, the folding plans will print out at a ~ROUGH~ scale of one actual
centimetre for one scale foot.

To create folding plans for tarps with
different sizes, or different size ratios to the folding plans in this document
(but at the same relative ‘scale'), use the blank template in APPENDIX #2 –
Custom Tarp Size Template (up to 15' x 25').

The naming of all points in the folding
plans is clockwise from the top-left corner (A), with the four corners always
being A, B, C, and D. Naming of other
points is clockwise from corner A, ending with any ‘internal' points. Notes on finished Tarp-shelters are usually
model/mathematical estimates, and show feet and inches as ‘decimal feet' (whole
feet with ‘decimal' inches).

Decimal
Inches

NOTE - All figures rounded DOWN to 3 decimal places!

1” =
0.083 foot

Feet expressed as Metres

2"
= 0.166 foot

1'
= 0.304m

11'
= 3.352m

21'
= 6.400m

3"
= 0.25 foot

2'
= 0.609m

12'
= 3.657m

22'
= 6.705m

4"
= 0.333 foot

3'
= 0.914m

13'
= 3.962m

23'
= 7.010m

5"
= 0.416 foot

4'
= 1.219m

14'
= 4.267m

24'
= 7.315m

6"
= 0.5 foot

5'
= 1.524m

15'
= 4.572m

25'
= 7.620m

7"
= 0.583 foot

6'
= 1.828m

16'
= 4.876m

26'
= 7.924m

8"
= 0.666 foot

7'
= 2.133m

17'
= 5.181m

27'
= 8.229m

9"
= 0.75 foot

8'
= 2.438m

18'
= 5.486m

28'
= 8.534m

10"
= 0.833 foot

9'
= 2.743m

19'
= 5.791m

29'
= 8.839m

11"
= 0.916 foot

10'
= 3.048m

20'
= 6.096m

30'
= 9.144m

This
table gives some common tarp sizes, and some (outdated) prices.

LIGHT WEIGHT – generic blue

HEAVY DUTY - 'Green/Silver'

6' x 8' (240 cm x 180 cm) $7

6' x 8' (240 cm x 180 cm) $11

8' x 10' (300 cm x 240 cm) $11

8' x 10' (300 cm x 240 cm) $17

8' x 16' (240 cm x
480 cm) $21

------------------------------

9' x 20' (270 cm x 600 cm) $26

------------------------------

10' x 12' (300 cm x 360 cm) $17

10' x 12' (300 cm x 360 cm) $26

12' x 12' (360 cm x
360 cm) $21

12' x 12' (360 cm x
360 cm) $31

12' x 14' (360 cm x 420 cm) $24

12' x 14' (360 cm x 420 cm) $36

12' x 16' (360 cm x 480 cm) $28

12' x 16' (360 cm x 480 cm) $41

12' x 18' (360 cm x 540 cm) $31

12' x 18' (360 cm x 540 cm) $46

12' x 20' (360 cm x 600 cm) $35

12' x 20' (360 cm x 600 cm) $51

12' x 24' (360 cm x
720 cm) $41

12' x 24' (360 cm x
720 cm) $62

15' x 15' (450 cm x 450 cm) $33

15' x 15' (450 cm x 450 cm) $49

15' x 30' (450 cm x
900 cm) $64

15' x 30' (450 cm x
900 cm) $97

16' x 20' (480 cm x 600 cm) $50

16' x 20' (480 cm x 600 cm) $69

18' x 24' (540 cm x 720 cm) $64

18' x 24' (540 cm x 720 cm) $93

24' x 30' (720 cm x 900 cm) $109

24' x 30' (720 cm x 900 cm) $155

30' x 30' (900 cm x
900 cm) $129

30' x 30' (900 cm x
900 cm) $183

30' x 36' (900 cm x 1080 cm) $148

30' x 36' (900 cm x 1080 cm) $222

For custom tarp estimates, use these
standard Imperial/Metric conversion rates.

Top - basic line strung between two
fixed objects. Usually from ground to
a tree, or between two trees.

Second Top - single overhead hanging
support. Usually from an overhanging
tree branch, or from a rope line.

Bottom Left - two poles lashed
together to make a ‘Shears' frame.
The uppermost angle supports the rope. Useful for areas without trees, and can be used as a frame to
reinforce a Tarp-shelter.

Bottom Right - traditional tent pole,
guy-line, and ground stake.

The 3-poled Tripod and 4-poled Pyramid
frames (not shown), offer a skeleton you can drape a tarp over, or an
external frame to support an overhead style VSS.

Use poles, taut ropes, or even PVC pipes
(white plastic pipes used for plumbing) to create internal or external VSS or
‘skeleton frames'. Pre-cut PVC pipe
pieces and modular pipe connectors allow for rapid creation of complex frames –
to keep things together, tension with a rope running through the middle of the
pipes.

Taut ropes have enough tension to keep
them straight between the rope anchor points.

Tighten a limp rope by either retying
it, or by diverting it from a straight line.
Use a ‘shears' VSS frame or a pole with a Y-shaped fork to prop up a
rope to the right height, or to tension it.

Most Tarp-shelters only need one VSS
point, but some need more. You can get
multiple parallel VSS points from taut ropes strung between 2 or 3 trees/VSS.

NOTE - Many camping grounds don't allow the
attaching of ropes to trees. Those that
do, may insist on a ‘tree collar' being used.
Tree collars are broad belts several feet long that go around a tree,
and are often nothing more than seat belt material with attachment loops on the
end. They minimise damage to the tree
bark by spreading pressure out over a large flat surface. 4-Wheel Driving enthusiasts may use
something similar when attaching a winch to a tree.

Step 1. Attach pulleys or lash rings to the ‘end' trees at the desired
height. Arrange main ropes between
the trees as shown, leaving the ropes limp enough to pull aside. Lay tarp on the ground between the rope
anchor points as shown to locate where the ropes must move to.

Step 3. Use lash rings and another rope to pull the main ropes together
and narrow the space between them.
Loosen main ropes if necessary to get enough slack. Thoroughly secure the ends of the
constricting rope!

Step 2. Either use a pole to push the main ropes apart near the
‘middle' tree and make more space, or use lash rings and guy-lines to pull
the main ropes apart and make more space.
Loosen main ropes if necessary to get enough slack. Thoroughly secure the guy-lines when
satisfied with results!

Step 4. After sorting out the base set-up, secure the tarp to the main
ropes, attaching extra guy-lines as needed.
Use pulleys/lash rings to tighten the main ropes, and then do a final
tautening of the guy-lines.

To reinforce the fold lines of a
Tarp-shelter, securely stake down tarp edges, and ensure that any guy-lines
are taut.

Reinforce folds with a taut rope
running along the inside of the fold.
The rope supports the tarp fabric along the entire length of the
rope. Secure the rope to ground at
the ends of the tarp, and secure again a foot or so out from the end of the
tarp as shown in the diagram on the left.

Blunt ‘caps' for spiked tent poles
exist. They slip over the spike and
present a broad, rounded surface to the tarp.
To use a conventional spiked tent pole without a blunt cap, turn the
tent pole upside down, with spike downwards and the flat base up in the air. Put a rubber cap over the flat base of the
tent pole (the ones that go on chair legs are useful), or use a Tennis ball
with a hole cut in it so it fits snugly over the flat end of the pole.

Windsods are upturned turf or banked
earth, sand, snow, etc that overlay the ‘ground' edges of a
Tarp-shelter. They create a draft
stopper that helps shield the ground edge of the tarp from the oncoming
wind. In the example shown, the
inside gap between tarp and sod provides drainage for condensation from the
tarp.

Grommet placement further reduces the
useable dimensions of the tarp. It may
be more practical in ‘Real Life' situations, to use the distance between the
end corner grommets on a particular tarp side as being the actual ‘length' of
that side, when estimating distances for grommet insertion and folding points.

Only replace or insert new grommets in a
tarp after thoroughly checking out the needs of a particular folding plan. Tarp-shelter patterns sometimes share fold
lines and grommet points with other patterns.
Refer to APPENDIX #3 – Common Grommets and Fold Lines on 1:1 and 1:2
Tarps, for an overview. If inserting a
grommet, it helps if you reinforce the area where the grommet is supposed to go
with patches of tarp material.

The diagrams in APPENDIX #3 have scales
showing 1/10ths (tenths), 1/12ths (twelfths), 1/20ths (twentieths), and 1/24ths
(twenty-fourths) for a 10 x 10 Square tarp, as well as 1/40ths (fortieths) and
1/48ths (forty-eighths) for the long sides of a 10 x 20 Rectangular tarp. The scales suggest that most of the
projected grommet points are either on, or very close to, the 1/12th, 1/24th,
or 1/48th length division marks, with a margin of error of less than an inch
(?).

On a ‘mathematically perfect' 10' x 10'
tarp (one without any loss of size to hemming or grommets), a distance of
1/12th of a side is 10 inches, 1/24 is 5 inches, etc. On a ‘mathematically perfect' 12' x 12' tarp, 1/12th is 12
inches, etc. On a ‘mathematically
perfect' 8' x 8' tarp, 1/12th is 8 inches, etc.

You may prefer to use Tarp Clips instead
of adding extra grommets. There are several
brands of commercial tarp clips available, and all work on the principle of
spreading the load over a wide patch of tarp.

You can create a DIY tarp clip with rope
and a smooth rounded object of at least one inch (2.5 cm) in diameter (ball
bearings, SMOOTH pebbles, etc). This
DIY tarp clip is very basic, and it may not take too much force to pull it off,
or worse, tear a hole in the tarp! For
safety's sake, and for the sake of caring for your gear, ALWAYS use a proper
tarp clip!

To make a DIY tarp clip…

-Press the smooth object against the tarp where you want the tarp clip
to go.

-Gather the tarp around the outline of the object, making the tarp bulge
out.

-Loop the rope over the bulge in the tarp, working it to the very back.

-Tightly tie the rope off around the back of the bulge in the tarp.

-Use the rope
ends as guy-lines, or rope attachment points.

One last thing, if having a custom tarp
made, see about having nylon webbing (seat belt material) sewn around the tarp
edges for extra support. That having
been said, the actual Tarp-shelter plans start on the next page.

1. Basic Groundsheet.

Lay tarp down and secure corners to
ground. Makes an easy to clean floor.

If fly is parallel to the ground, then
it provides a square shadow of 10' x 10'.
Any angling of the fly will decrease this.

4. Mushroom Fly.

Pitch as a Basic Fly.

Use a blunt-ended tent pole to push up
midpoint of tarp.

DO NOT PUSH THE SPIKE AGAINST THE
TARP!

5. Round Arch.

Secure edge AD to ground.

Tie flexible dome tent poles to
grommets on edges AB and CD to.

Curve flexible dome tent poles into
semi-circles.

Arrange on ground until satisfied with
shape.

Secure free corners B and C on edge BC
to ground.

A 10' x 10' tarp gives a Round Arch
6.363' wide, and 3.181' high at the centre.

Use extra dome tent poles to support
midsection of shelter.

6. Combos.

A tarp pitched as a Basic Fly provides
shade, while another tarp pitched as
a sloping wall on the Windward side deflects oncoming wind. A third tarp provides a floor. Adding yet more tarps can create the
semblance of a room.

Two 10' x 10' tarps lashed together
can make most of the A-Frame variants.

Three 10' x 10' tarps lashed together
as three quarters of a large square can make all of the Half Box Variants.

Tub Floor.

Turn a Basic Groundsheet into a Tub Floor
by folding the sides into mud walls.

Make creases about 6 inches (15 cm) in
from all 4 sides of the tarp.

This crease is where the tarp stops being
‘floor', and becomes ‘mud wall'.

The crease lines
will overlap to make squares in the tarp corners.

Make diagonal
folds in the corner squares, with the fold lines coming in from the outermost
edge of the tarp corner.

Fold up the ‘mud walls' of the Tub Floor.

The diagonal creases in the corner
squares allow spare material to fold ‘bellows' style, into flaps that can
point inside or outside of the walls of the Tub floor.

Secure folded
material to the mud wall (clothes pegs may do the job). This helps ‘square up' the corners.

Corner grommets stop the fold being
perfect, but it will be ‘near enough'.

A 10' x 10' Tarp may be tight for head
and foot space. A 12' x 12' Tarp
should be adequate.

1. Half Pyramid Wedge Cover.

Fold tarp in half diagonally, then
swing edges BC and CD inwards until they touch midline fold AC. This creates fold lines CE and CF at 22.5°
to BC and CD, and angles of 45.0°, and 67.5° at points E and F.

Secure Corner C to ground on Windward
side.

Support points E and F in air on Lee
side.

Secure Corner D to ground directly
below point F.

Secure Corner B directly to ground
below point E.

Corner A on flap AEF should touch
ground.

This is just the Half Pyramid used as
a Semi-Walled Wedge type of wind shed.

The lower that the folding for the
roof slope starts, the greater the angle of the roof slope. The higher up that the roof slope

starts, the less angular the roof
slope becomes.

Tarp Clips and Guy-lines will ‘round
off' base edges of the roof slope, as will a Dome tent pole if tied in a
circle.

If using a Dome tent pole, hang it
from the central VSS that supports the shelter.

Warning – Eight points of the octagon
lie on a circle 6.53' in diameter - this is a circumference of 20.5' instead
of 20'.

Difference is because a straight line
is shorter than a curved line between two points.

A 10' x 20' tarp gives a Pavilion
8.2625' high, of which 6' is the main walls, with sloping roof some 2.625'
high.

Floor space for the octagon is 30.177
square feet, for a circle is 31.818 square feet.

Baker's Wind Shed.

Fold tarp at end quarter marks, and
then fold each end-quarter diagonally.

Secure edge GH to ground on Windward
side. This becomes the base of main
rectangular wall EFGH.

Align BH and CG on the Lee side at 90°
with GH.

Secure corners B and C to ground.

Support Top edge EF in air on Lee
side, with points E and F directly above points B and C.

Secure corners A and D of groundsheets
ABH and CDG to ground. They may be
either inside or outside the shelter.

A 10' x 20' tarp gives a Baker's Wind
Shed with wall slope of about 26°, height of 4.472', total floor space of
89.44 square feet in a rectangular shadow of 8.944' x 10'. Length of edges CG and BH is 11.180'.

Boxed In.

The use of Tent poles and Ridgepoles
is highly recommended.

Fold tarp in half lengthwise. Fold tarp crossways at end quarter
marks. Fold end squares at either end
of same long side diagonally, from tarp corner inwards.

Secure IJ to ground on Windward side
as base of back wall IJKL.

Secure point E to ground right beside
point J. Secure point H to ground
right beside point I.

Align BE and CH at 90° to IJ on Lee
side. These edges become bases of end
walls BEFK and CGHL.

Secure corners B and C to ground.

Support points K and L in air directly
overpoints I and J to form back wall IJKL.
Use a blunt pole, these points will have tarp fabric above them.

Support points F and G in air so
section FGKL becomes the roof. Edge
FG needs ridgepole support.

BEFK and CGHL become end walls.

Squares AEJK and DHIL are spare cloth
– bundle them up behind the wall corners, out of sight.

A 10' x 10' tarp gives a Boxed In with
90° walls, 5' high, with 50 square feet of floor space in a rectangular
shadow 5' wide by 10' long.

Reinforce front and back rooflines
with another VSS in the middle of the span.

Pitching Variant - Swap wall and spare
cloth squares to make a stall with a height adjustable front.

Bus Stop.

(Goal, Standing Shed)

Create a Bus Stop, a shelter for multiple
standing people from a simple variation of the Boxed In design.

The use of Tent poles and Ridgepoles
is highly recommended.

The end squares mark one-third of the
short side, and one-sixth of the long side respectively from the end corner –
3.333' in both cases.

Lashed together with a Diamond Fly as
3 quarters of a square, it makes an over sized Low Tetra.

1. Floating Pyramid.

Fold tarp in half short ways. Fold each half diagonally from same point
on midline fold.

Support point E in air.

Secure corners B and C to each other to
make edge BE-CE.

Arrange points B-C and F, and corners A
and D into corners of a pyramid.

Secure corners A and D directly to
ground.

Scure points B-C and F to ground with
guy-lines.

Open up BE-CE to create a doorway if
desired.

Sheltered locations only.

2. Tilted Pyramid.

Pitching depends on whether you want a
solid or split awning, or a door in the back corner.

Door in back - support point E in air,
secure corners B and C to ground directly beneath point E. Spread corners A and D out along ground.

Split awning – support point E in air,
secure point F to ground directly beneath point E. Spread corners A and D out along ground.

Sheltered locations only.

3. Semi-walled Mushroom.

1. Toque (Split Back).

Fold
from the midpoint G of long side AD, to end corners B and C of the other long
side.

Position
of points E and F are variable. In
this example, they are at the quarter marks on long side BC.

Bring
corners A and D together, and secure them to the ground on Windward side as
point A-D.

Join
edges AG and DG together to make the one edge AG-DG.

Support
point G in air directly above A-D.

Spread
edges AB and CD along ground on Lee side.

Align
edges AB and CD at 90° to each other, using point A-D as origin.

Secure
corners B and C to ground.

Use
guy-lines to pull points E and F out, and create a low awning.

A 10' x 10' tarp gives a Togue 10'
high at peak G. With back angle at
90°, there's over 50 square feet of floor space.

Front awning is slightly over 4' high
(estimate from model).

Unsure about weather worthiness of
shelter, or strength of the joined back edge AG-DG in winds.

Open the back edge for use as a doorway.

2. Toque Wedge.

The Toque with a smaller back angle
due to fold lines BG and CG being virtually flat (no fold) – Fold line BG
shown in illustration for clarity.

Point G is 10' high, front awning is
5' high.

1. Toque (Split Awning).

Fold
from the midpoint F of long side BC, to end corners A and D of the other long
side.

Position
of points E and G are variable. In
this example, they are at the halfway marks on short sides AB and CD.

Secure
point H to ground on Windward side.

Support
point G in air directly above point H.

Spread
edges AH and DH along ground on Lee side.

Align
edges AH and DH at 90° to each other, using point H as origin.

Bring
corners B and C together, and secure them
as point B-C.

Join
edges BF and CF together to make the one edge BF-CF.

Use
guy-lines to pull points E and G out, and create a low awning.

A 10' x 10' tarp gives a Togue 10'
high at peak H. With back angle at
90°, there's over 50 square feet of floor space.

The awning may be joined together, or
split for better ventilation.

The back edge is more weather worthy
than the one in the Split Back version, but the Split Awning will admit rain.

2. Pitching Variation.

Tilt the entire thing forward until B,
C, E and G are on the ground, F is the highest point of the roof, and H
becomes the top of a low awning that stretches along AH and DH to the ground
– in this case, the back ‘join' can become a door.

1. Open Pyramid.

Fold tarp from the end, quarter, and half
way marks on the long sides.

Secure points F and G to ground on
Windward side.

Align edges BG and CF on Lee side, at 90°
to FG.

Secure corners B and C to ground on Lee
side.

Fold triangles ABG and CDF inside main
walls as partial groundsheets.

Secure ABG and CDF as partial groundsheets.

Support Multi-Fold point E in air. Lift E to tauten walls.

2. Closed Tetrahedra with Full Groundsheet.

Large middle triangle EFG becomes
groundsheet, two side triangles BEG and CEF become walls that meet at BE and
CE.

Triangles ABG and CDF become fully
functional door flaps.

Support corners B and C in air to
create peak.

‘Back walls' need extra lashings to
close gap between their edges and make shelter ‘secure'.

The sloping doorway and back wall join
will admit rain unless the edges are significantly overlapped, or sealed with
waterproof tape.

Trigonometry is a branch of Mathematics
that deals with Triangles. At the heart
of Trigonometry, are angles.

We measure Angles in degrees (°). Each degree subdivides into 60 minutes (')
or 1/60th of a degree, and each minute subdivides again into 60 seconds
(") or 1/60th of a minute. To use
the Degree mark (°) on most computer keyboards, hold down the ‘Alt' key and
press 0176 on the numeric keypad (Alt + 0176).

There are 360° in a Circle, and 180° in a
Straight Line. A Right Angle is 90°
(exactly), and a small square is its symbol, unlike the arcs used for other
angles. An Acute (sharp) Angle is
between 0° and 90°. An Obtuse (blunt)
Angle is between 90° and 180°. A Reflex
(bent back) Angle is between 180° and 360°.

The sum of the internal angles in a
Triangle is 180° (half that of a Circle).
An Equilateral Triangle has ALL sides equal in length, and ALL angles
equal to 60°. An Isosceles Triangle has
TWO sides equal in length, with TWO angles equal to each other. A Scalene Triangle has NO sides or angles
equal to any other.

A Right-Angled Triangle has a Right Angle
(90°) inside it. The Hypotenuse is a
special name used for the side of a triangle opposite a Right Angle (note that
an ‘opposite' side does NOT touch the angle in question). The Hypotenuse is ALWAYS the longest side in
a triangle.

Trigonometry makes extensive use of the
ratios and proportions between the angles and side lengths of a triangle. The most useful of these functions are…

SINE of an angle = Opposite side/Hypotenuse
(where / = divide by)

COSINE of an angle = Adjacent
side/Hypotenuse

TANGENT of an angle = Opposite side/Adjacent
side (neither side is Hypotenuse)

Example - The
SINE Rule.

A triangle has
A, B, C as the names of the sides, and a, b, c as the names of the angles
opposite the similarly named side.
The result of dividing the length of any side, by the SINE of the angle
opposite it, is equal to the result from dividing any other side by the SINE
of the relevant angle.

The length of the Hypotenuse when
multiplied by itself (squared), equals the sum of the individually squared
lengths of the other two sides of the triangle. Examples – a Right-Angled Triangle with angles of 45°, 45°, and
90°, has sides in the ratio of 1:1:H=(Square root of 2). A Right Angled Triangle with angles of 30°,
60° and 90°, has sides in the ratio of 1:(Square Root of 3):H=2.

H^2 = (A^2) + (B^2) (where ^2 means Squared, or multiplied by itself)

Square Root of 2 = 1.414243562 Square Root of 3 = 1.732050808

And here's some other math, useful for
Circles and Spheres.

Pi is 3.141592654, or approximately 22 divided by 7 (3.142857
recurring)

When overlaid, some of the folding plans
have fold-lines, or grommet points in common with other folding plans – refer
diagrams below and on the next page.

When compared to the distance scale
markings around the edges of the Overlaid Patterns Diagram, it becomes apparent
that the majority of the grommet and fold origin points are at (or very close
to) points corresponding to fractions of 12ths, 24ths, or 48ths of the tarp
edge.

NOTE - The two sets of scale markings shown
on the Overlaid Patterns Diagrams were ‘approximated' to suit the scale of the
folding plans. As the scales are only
‘approximate', they are not reliable enough for exact distance readings.

The 1/10th tarp edge markings (‘scale
feet') are furthest from the edge of the tarp, and divide the tarp edge length
into 1/10ths (or 1/20ths for the long sides of rectangular tarps). The short grey mark at the halfway mark of each
segment marks off six ‘scale inches'.
The black wavy line running through the 1/10th scale further divides
each ‘scale foot' into 12 sub-segments, to give a rough indication of
individual ‘scale inches' for tarp sides 10' (or 20') long. The estimated margin of error for the 1/10th
scale is less than a single pixel, non-accruing and contained within every 19
pixels – in other words, less than a third of a ‘scale inch' (3.16~ pixels) for
every six ‘scale inches', where a ‘scale foot is 38 pixels.

The 1/12th tarp edge markings are the black
on grey scale markings nearest the edge of the tarp, and divide the tarp length
into 1/12ths and 1/24ths (1/48ths for the long sides of rectangular
tarps). The short black mark shows the
halfway mark of each segment. The
1/12th scale coincides with the 1/10th scale at a rate of every three segments
of the 1/12th scale to two and a half segments of the 1/10th scale. The estimated margin of error for the 1/12th
scale is greater than that of the 1/10th scale, and is believed partly
responsible for the ‘non-perfect' alignment of fold lines with markings on the
1/12th scale – another major factor being the overall accuracy of the general
line work at this scale.

Overlaid Patterns Diagram for 1:1 tarps.

All folds mirrored vertically and horizontally.

Each of the vertical and horizontal lines
shown, are one pixel thick. Things
become a bit clearer when enlarging the diagram.

Some Tarp-shelter designs can combine
with others to create a better shelter.

The most obvious combination is the
addition of a ‘Tub Floor' groundsheet.
The Tub Floor may be a separate tarp to the rest of the Tarp-shelter, or
may be part of the Tarp-shelter design, such as a modified ground sheet segment
of a ‘C-Fly'.

There are many other combinations,
depending on the desired result.

-A
‘Boxed In' with a ‘Lean-To' makes an enclosed shelter

-A
‘Tub Floor with 2 Walls', a ‘Square Stall' and a ‘Lean To' make a room

-A
‘Tub Floor with 2 Walls' and a ‘Box Arch' make a fully enclosed shelter

-A
‘Diamond Fly' and a ‘Rectangular Tent' make a large scale ‘Low Tetra'

-A ‘Diamond Fly'
and a ‘Half Pyramid' make an enclosed shelter

-A
‘Diamond Fly' and a ‘Wigwam' make an enclosed teardrop-shaped shelter

-2
‘Diamond Flies' make a large scale ‘Rectangular Tent'

-3
‘Diamond Flies' make a large scale ‘Low Tetra'

-2
‘Half Tetras' make a ‘Rectangular Tent'

-2
‘Half Tetras' make a fully enclosed ‘Closed Tetra'

-2
‘Half Tetras' and an ‘A-Frame' make an enclosed shelter

-2
‘Half Pyramids' make a ‘Pyramid Fly'

-3
‘Half Pyramids' make a ‘Hexagonal Fly'

-2
‘Arrowheads' make a ‘Rectangular Pyramid Fly'

-3
‘Arrowheads' make a six-sided fly (one that's not quite a ‘Hexagonal Fly')

Depending on the specific designs and level
of shelter strength needed, such combinations may or may not need extra VSS,
ropes or poles.

- -
- - - - - - - -

When brand new, plastic sheeting and
poly-tarps are virtually draft proof and waterproof. These qualities allow them to serve as makeshift bathtubs or
water reservoirs/troughs. While
abrasions and punctures may quickly affect their ability to serve in these
capacities, for a while, they ARE able to serve.

The point being, Tarps have other uses than
just that of a ‘weather shelter'.

With the advent of the War Against
Terrorism (2001 AD - ? AD), comes the spectre of Mass Casualty situations from
a variety of causes. Casualties may
occur from the trauma of the initial event, or from ‘cumulative effects' that
may not appear for days, weeks or YEARS afterwards (Food Poisoning, Anthrax,
AIDS, Asbestosis).

-A
chemical agent affects 50,000 people within minutes at a Football Final

-A
biological agent infects 100,000 people in a single day at a regional show

-A
dust cloud from a demolished building eventually affects 500,000 people

Any of the Tarp-shelter
designs/combinations that provide an enclosed shelter can serve as an
improvised ‘oxygen tent'. While the
oxygen-enriched air will leak out wherever it can, the use of ‘duct' tape as a
sealing agent on joins and seams will improve atmospheric retention ability.

With work, a few of the Tarp-shelter
designs (like the ‘Closed Tetra') can serve as an improvised Biohazard
Isolation unit. In this situation, a
normal vacuum cleaner creates ‘negative air pressure' inside the enclosure, by sucking
air from within the enclosure. This
causes a constant stream of fresh air to seep INTO the enclosure through any
joins, seams, openings, etc. Use of a
HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arrester) medical mask, or a P2 class welding
mask (filters dust, mist, fumes, and asbestos) as a filter over the suction
intake INSIDE the enclosure, removes airborne pathogens from the air before it
leaves the shelter.

With a little more work, a few of the
Tarp-shelter designs can give limited service as an improvised Bio-Chemical
Warfare shelter. In this situation, a
normal vacuum cleaner (or a hand pump) creates ‘positive air pressure' inside
the enclosure, making air leak out from within the enclosure through any joins,
seams, etc. This keeps airborne
contaminants outside. An air filter
(made from a gas mask canister) over any air intake OUTSIDE the enclosure,
removes chemicals from the air before it enters. Sustained release of air from compressed air bottles (SCUBA,
etc), will create the same ‘positive pressure' effect. While this method isn't foolproof, it may
provide a temporary safe haven until Rescue teams can arrive, or the threat
decreases enough to allow leaving the shelter.

That last special use is a modern variant
of the ‘gas hoods' used to protect baby cribs from Poison Gas in the World
Wars. These either used compressed air,
or else used a pump mechanism (usually hand-powered) that ensured a constant
flow of fresh air into the ‘hood' (positive pressure) from a gas mask filter.

With Official education efforts regarding
the ‘Shelter In Place' (SIP) system of surviving airborne hazard alerts, comes
the question of how effectively you can SIP if you can't be sure of securing
the airflow/atmospheric constitution in the place you live/work.

While ‘plastic sheeting and duct tape' may
provide an effective atmospheric seal around windows, doors and vents in an
intact building, these sealing methods may not work too well if the building is
NOT ‘intact', that is, if the walls, floors, and roof have holes, cracks, or
other breaches that cannot be easily sealed.
Presented above is just ONE solution that is relatively cheap, simple,
fully portable, self-contained, and apart from the gas mask filters, readily
available to the general population.

- -
- - - - - - - -

Woodcraft is a term that is changing its
meaning…

In the ‘olden days' (only a few decades
ago), ‘woodcraft' meant being able to obtain the essentials of life from the
natural resources of the wilderness.
Among other things, this meant making fire, gathering food, locating
water, using natural navigation methods, and making shelter from trees and
saplings.

Nowadays, ‘woodcraft' means ‘Minimum Impact
Bushwalking' (MIB), the act of ‘Leaving No Trace' of ever having been in the
Wilderness. That means no fire pits to
scar the landscape, no decimation of wildlife and the natural food cycles, and
no destruction of the vegetation for shelter purposes.

However, some ‘olden days' practices may
still be allowable under MIB guidelines.
These are little things that can make life easier, but which don't have
a lasting, permanent effect on the natural landscape.

A groundsheet provides an easy to clean
surface, one that separates the campsite from the mud and biomass of the ground
it lies on. It also provides extra
protection to the ground against the ‘trampling effect' of pedestrian
traffic. Laying the groundsheet over
‘heaped up' leaf litter creates a padded floor, one that offers extra thermal
insulation compared to a tarp laid on bare ground.

The uphill edge of a groundsheet can divert
‘runoff' water without the mud wall of a ‘Tub Floor'. Raise the uphill edge of the groundsheet and sweep dirt, leaf
litter, etc underneath it to make a ridge that keeps the edge of the ground
sheet a couple of inches off the ground.
The slight ridge can divert runoff water around the groundsheet. The ridge material may also absorb the
water, diverting it to flow through the ground materials beneath the waterproof
groundsheet.

The use of overlaid tarps can create a
large structure with good ventilation and superior rain shedding capability –
the rain runs off a series of angled ‘roofs', one onto another, eventually
running off the last one and away from the camp, or running off into a rain
tank or other water reservoir.

I had fun with this document, doing the
research, creating the folding plans, testing out the paper models. All errors are mine (I'm only Human), all
credit should go to the originators of these designs, names lost in the passage
of time.